Die



Aug. 24.- 1926.

T. N. AIKENS DIE Original, Filed p a, 1921 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 24', 19260 1,596,862

"r. N. AIKENS DIE Original Filed p 8, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 & 'Z u m 20 W k I 15 l' 'n Z4 HI (ID @I Aug 24, 1926. 1,596,862

T. N. AIKENS DIE Original Filed p 8, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 31 fialz if 29 J4 J0 5:253 31 Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. AJIKENS, OF LAKEVIOOID, OHIO, ASSIG'NOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID 'ED.

WALKER, O16 'LAKEYNOOID, @HIO.

EDIE.

Application filed September 8, 1921, Serial No. 499,354. Renewed February 25, 1925.

two flat parallel faces adapted to be engaged by the flanges of the hub plates, and two ta: pered faces which are adapted to engage and to be interlocked with the similar faces of adjoining spokes.

By the preferred method of making the spoke described in my Patent No. 1,498,771, granted June 2 lt-h, 1924, the spoke is produced from a properly shaped blank by several distinct steps or operations, which include the shaping of the metal and the forming of the seam.

The die constituting the subject matter of the present invention is utilized in one of these spoke forming operations which include the closing of the partially formed spoke produced by a previous operation, andthe uniting of the edges of the sheet into the longitudinally extending seam.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a die which performs these operations in an eficient manner and with rapidity.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims. a

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a side view; Figs. 3 and 4-. are end views of the partially farmed spoke on which the die of this invention operates; Figs- 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a plan view and end views of the spoke after being operated on by the die of this invention; Fig. Sis a longitudinal horizontal sectional. view of the die constituting the subject matter of this invention, the section being taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 12; Fig. 9'is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same substantially along the line 10l0 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view of the die with the latter in open position, the section being taken substantially along the irregular line 1111 of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is a similar view with the die in closed position; Figs. 13 and 14 are transverse sectional views through the die showing the die in open and closed position respectively, the section being taken substantially along the line 13l3 of Fig. 8 and Figs. 15 to 18 are fragmentary sectional views partly diagrammatic, showing progressively the closing of the seam.

Before describing the construction of the die constituting the subject matter of this invention, it might be mentioned at this point that the die has been especially constructed to accommodate a partially formed sheet metal spoke A,nshown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:, this spoke having a body p0rtion a, a reduced felloe end a and an enlarged wedge-shaped hub' portion a havingtwo opposite flat faces and two tapered faces. Likewise it is provided with two partially closed edge portions an and a, which are designed to be locked together in the form of a seam so as to produce a closed, substantially completed spoke designated B in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the seam formed being indicated at Z). 1

Taking up now the construction of the die, it will be bserved that it includes a lower die shoe 10, adapted to be supported in fixed position on the base or bed of a press. This die shoe carries an anvil block 11 which extends for a short distance along the shoe and is fastened thereto, this anvil block being designed to support the large end of the spoke during the spoke closing and seam forming operation. Secured t0 the lower die shoe, at the outer end of the anvil block 11, is a clevis 12, to the top of which is pivoted by atransverse pin 13, a

mandrel 14, on which the partially formed spoke is placed prior to the closing and seam forming operation, the mandrel having along the top and extending the full length thereof a slot or. groove 14? in which the seam is formed. The outer end of this man mandrel and are held yieldingly apart (when the die is in open position) by a spring 17. These jaws have recessed portions which when the jaws are closed, envelop the lower half of the mandrel and con form to the shape of one-half the body portion of the spoke. hen the jaws are closed they close the partially formed spoke A, bringing the edges together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 15, the jaws causing the spoke to closely conform to the mandrel and engaging the metal of the spoke for the full length of the body portion and for a part of the length of the enlarged wedge-shaped portion.

Above the lower parts of the die just described is an upper die shoe 18 which is adapted to be secured to the vertically movable ram of the press. The parts carried by this die shoe have a two-fold function of first closing the jaws 16 so that the latter will close the partially formed spoke in the manner already described, and then forming the seam, the latter being performed through the medium of two relatively movable punches, and the functions being per-, formed successively or progressively as the top die shoe descends.

For the purpose of closing the jaws onto the partially formed spoke and locking the same in closed position, the upper die shoe 18 is provided at one end (which may be termed the rear end which is toward the pivoted ends of the jaws) with a pair of enlarged depending portions 19 which are located on opposite sides of the shoe. Likewise the upper die shoe is provided at its opposite or forward end with a pair of similar but smaller depending portions 20. The depending portions 19 are provided on their inner or adjacent faces with cam plates 21 which are secured on the inner sides of the depending portions 19 by screws 22, as clearly shown in Figs. 11 and 12, which cam plates have their lower portions beveled and their upper portions straight or parallel, so that when the upper die shoe descends the beveled portions engage the upper outer portions of the jaws 16 so as to swing them inward to closed position, and then as the shoe continues to descend the upper parallel portions of the camplates engage the opposite faces of the jaws so as to assist in looking them in closed position. The forward and shorter depending portions 20 of the upper die shoe have secured to their inner faces by screws 28, locking plates 24, which engage over the outer faces or sides of the jaws 16 when they have been moved inward to closed position by the cam plates 21 so as to securely lock the jaws in closed position during the remainder of the descent of the upper die shoe.

The distance between the inner faces of the locking plates 24 and between the upper parallel faces of the cam plates 21 is'such that the jaws are held in their inner parallel relation with the partially formed spoke tightly held against the mandrel in closed position.

Additionally the upper die shoe is provided onits under side between the depending portions 19 and 20 with two seam forming plungers 25 and 26, the'former being held to the die shoe in fixed position thereon by screws 27, or equivalent means. The sec, ond plunger 26 is slidingly arranged at the side of the fixed plunger 25, and normally projects below the lower end of the fixed plunger, as illustrated in Fl 11. The movable or sliding plunger 26 is provided at the top with an enlarged portion or head 28, whose top surface is beveled, as shown, this beveled surface being engaged by the beveled face of a wedge block 29, which is laterally movable in a recessed part of the die shoe.

Secured to and extending from the side of the wedge block 29 are a plurality of pressure pins 30 which project upwardly beyond the face of the upper die shoe and slidingly engage a U-shaped bracket 31 secured to opposite ends of the upper die shoe. Between the bracket and abutments 32 on the pressure pins 30 are coil springs 33 which urge the wedge blocks inwardly, and thereforeyieldingly hold the sliding punch in lowered position, and also serve to allow the sliding punch to move upward and the wedge blocks to slide outward under resistance of the springs as the die shoe descends.

l/Vhen the die is inopen position the sliding punch is in its lowermost position, which is determined by a shoulder 34, on the lower face of the die and adapted to be engaged by a corresponding shoulder on the head of the sliding punch. and when the dieis in closed position the lower ends of both punches are at the same height or level, the upward movement of the sliding plunger being limited by the top wall of the recess in whichthe wedge block slides, which wall is then engaged by the top of thesliding plunger.

The operation of the die is as follows: When the die is in open position, illustrated in Fig. 11, the partially formed spoke A is slipped onto the mandrel 14, the end of the spoke then engaging a shoulder of the mandrel, which fixes the position of the spoke. \Vhen this is done, the enlarged end of the spoke rests upon the anvil block 11, it being remembered that until the upper die descends, the jaws stand in open position on opposite sides of the mandrel and partially formed spoke thereon, the spread of the jaws being preferably from ten to fifteen degrees, depending upon the size of the spoke.

Then the upper die shoe descends, whereupon the cam plates swing the jaws inward to closed position, and then the cam plates and locking plates carried by the upper die shoe lock the jaws tightly against the partially formed spoke, holding it firmly against the mandrel. This inward movement of the jaws closes the partially formed spoke onto the mandrel, bringing'the edge or marginal portions a and a to the position shown in Fig. 15, with the edge or marginal portion a projecting laterally beyond the somewhat shorter edge or marginal portion a Immediately after the jaws are locked in closed position as just described, the lower end of the sliding punch engages the marginal portion or edge a which projects beyond the edge a as shown in Fig. 15, and then bends it downward as illustrated in Fig. 16. Now the fixed plunger 25 comes into action while the sliding plunger 26 remains stationary, the lost motion thereof being absorbed by the wedge block and springs, the function of the fixed punch being to drive the marginal portions into the forming groove 14* of the mandrel, as illustrated in Fig. 17, and to lock the marginal portions in the form of a tight double seam illustrated in Fig. 18, this seam being formed for the full length of the spoke. The lower faces of the punches opposite the enlarged hub portion of the spoke are flat, but beyond this portion ofthe spoke the lower portions of the punches not only incline with the taper of the body portion of the spoke, but are rounded so as to conform for a distance to the transverse curvature as shown in the drawings.

The operation is now completed, and the upper die shoe ascends, whereupon the wedge block under the action of the springs again forces the sliding plunger 26 downward and the jaws 16 open up so as to allow the spoke to be stripped off of the mandrel. The stripper may be mounted on an extension of the lower die shoe just beyond the clevis supporting the mandrel, but as the stripper forms no part of the present in vention it is not illustrated, it being understood that it may assume different forms and may be actuated mechanically or otherwise.

The die above described closes the partially formed spoke and tightly locks its marginal portions in the form of adouble seam extending from end to end, and the whole operation is performed quickly as well as effectively.

.Vhile I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I do not desire to be confined to the exact details shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a die, a die shoe having a mandrel for the work and on opposite sides thereof a pair of pivoted jaws for closing the work onto the mandrel, and co-operating die shoe having means for closing and locking the jaws, and additional means for forming the edge or marginal portions of the work into a locked seam.

2. In a die, a die shoe having a mandrel and parts adapted to force and hold the work against the mandrel, a eo-operating die shoe having a pair of seam forming plungers projecting from the face thereof and mounted side by side, one fixed and the other slidable relative thereto.

3. In a die, a die shoe having a pair of seam forming plungers, one fixed in position and the other slidable, and a spring actuated wedge block engaging the slidable plunger.

4.v In a die, a die shoe having depending portions provided on the inner faces with cams, and having a seam forming plunger on the under face substantially midway be tween the depending portions.

5. A die comprising a die shoe provided with depending portions having substantially midway cam and locking plates, and having between the same a seam formingplunger.

6. A die comprising a die shoe having depending portions and between the depending portions having a pair of seam forming plungers, one fixed in position and the other slidable alongside the fixed plunger.

7. In a die, a die shoe having a pair of pivoted jaws, movable laterally toward and from one another, a co-operating die shoe having portions for swinging the jaws inward toward each other and locking them in closed position, and having between said portions seam forming means.

8. In a die, a die shoe having a pair of pivoted jaws, movable laterally toward and from one another, a co-opera-ting die shoe having depending portions for swinging the jaws inward toward each other and locking them in closed position, and having between said portions a fixed plunger and a slidable plunger.

9. In a die, a die shoe having a mandrel for the work and on opposite sides thereof a pair of jaws for closing the work onto the mandrel, and a co-operating die shoe having means for closing the jaws, and additional means for forming the edge or marginal portions of the work into a locked seam.

signature.

THOMAS N. AIKENS. 

